The Cost of Freedom
by darkangelnyxx
Summary: Iliana Razaki is the daughter of Humanity's Strongest couple. After their unfortunate deaths on an expedition gone wrong, Iliana joins the Survey Corps. What happens when her iron will is tested, and she's pushed to the breaking point? Will her friends be able to save her from oblivion, or will Captain Levi step in and save the day?
1. OC OutlinesReferences

Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) fanfiction

"The Cost of Freedom"

Iliana "Lily" Razaki

5'1" 125lbs

Black hair that falls to the middle of her back, Eyes are usually a mixturen of color- outer rim is grey, half of the iris (inside half, closest to her nose) is green, outer half is a light blue.

Lily had a younger sister named Rosalie. Their Parents, Zacharias (Trost) and Helena (Stohess) Razaki, were Humanity's Strongest Couple until an expedition went horribly wrong. Their last expedition was Levi's 4th. Lily was 10, Rose was 5. They lived with Dimitri and his mother Lydia after that, and Rose developed cancer when she was 6. She fought it for 7 years before it took her, and Lily enlisted with Dimitri.

From Stohess district. 19 years old when the story begins

Dimitri Ivanovich

6'2" 230lbs

Shaggy brown hair, natural golden undertones. Eyes are striking ice blue.

Dimitri is an only child. His mother Lydia Ivanovich was raped by a random man from the Military Police, and she raised her only son alone. She was friends with the Razakis, having grown up with Helena. Dimitri enlisted with Lily to help protect his adopted sister.

From Stohess District. 20 years old as the story begins.

Alice Braun

5'4" 130lbs

Golden/honey blonde pixie cut, Cerulean blue eyes

She lost everything when the Titans invaded Shangishina. She's a very strong willed person, wearing her heart on her sleeve. She quickly befriended Lily and formed strong bonds with all of her friends. They're the only family she has, and she'd do anything to protect them.

Shangishina, 16 as story begins

Christian "Chris" Vadeki

6' 195lbs

Short brown hair, chocolate eyes

Like Alice, he has no blood family left because of Titans, and joins the military for revenge. He's a very kind person, loving to joke and make people smile. He and

Alice fell for each other quickly, and although their relationship may seem rocky to outsiders, they're very attached.

Trost, 17 as story begins

Jessica "Jess" Maverick

5'6" Shoulder length platinum blonde hair, jade green eyes.

Coming from the inner city, she's seen the corruption of the Military Police all of her life. She despises their blatant disregard for humanity, and the apathy her parents held toward the struggles of those less fortunate than them. She wants to help fight for freedom, to break free from the confinement of the Walls. She believes it's the only way to truely save humanity. She always goes above and beyond to help her friends, and she doesn't back down in tense situations.

Inner city, 16 as the story begins

Silas Augustine

5'10" 175lbs

Dark blond hair, cut short. Green eyes.

From Yarckel, 17

Thomas Irving

5'9" 160lbs

Shaggy brown hair, steel grey eyes.

From Trost, 15

Collin Smithson

5'7" 145lbs

Red hair, undercut. Dusty blue eyes.

From Stohess, 16

Cameron "Cam" Lombrana

5'7" 150lbs

Dark brown hair, undercut. Green hazel eyes.

Growing up in the underground city usually makes people quite apathetic and cynical, but that's not the case with Cameron. He has always tried his best to find humor and joy in life, striving to make his friends and family happy. He's the son of a prostitute, but she made sure he had the best she could give to him. She saved money from the time he was born to ensure that he wouldn't have to spend his entire life in poverty. She managed to save enough money for him to pass to the surface, where he immediately enlisted in the military for citizenship, knowing that if he made it, he could rescue his mother from the underground as well.

Underground City, 20 years old as the story begins.

Jeren Provow

5'6" 150lbs

Short brown hair, muddy brown eyes.

He joined the military in hopes of living the priveleged life of the Military Police, just like his uncle. Coming from a rich family, he has an overinflated ego. He thinks the Garrison and the Survey Corps are a waste of space and tax payer money. He's rather mysogynistic, as his father was involved in the sex traffic trade and brought Jaren up to believe that woman are property, no better than livestock. He's unable to make any true friends, instead using all of his time trying to throw money and his family's "reputation" around to earn respect.

Yarckel, 18 as the story begins


	2. Chapter One

I wipe a bead of sweat from my brow, glaring at the clear blue sky. What I wouldn't give for a few clouds to pass in front of the sweltering sun... I hate July.

I can't help but roll my eyes as Uriah Mitcham, our drill leader, continues to drone on about our fight for humanity. The old fart could take anything and make it boring, even our graduation ceremony. Sweat glistens on his bald head, and I hold back a snort.

Finally, another man taps his soulder, and takes center stage. He wears the emblem of the Military Police, and my eyes roll again.

"Good morning, recruits. As you may already know, only a select few of you will be eligible to join the Military Police. I stand before you announce those few. If you hear your name, move to the stage." He pauses, pulling a small bit of paper from a pocket and clearing his throat. The crowd of rectruits visibly tenses, most wanting to hear their names. I don't. Military Police don't fight. They don't engage Titans, and their lives are spent mostly in the inner city. Most are corrupt as hell, dealing in drugs, slaves, extortion, theft... anything to advance themselves, with no regard for the citizens they're meant to protect.

"Tenth in class, Jeren Provow." That fucking slimeball. There's no way he deserves to be in the top ten, but I'll admit he'd fit in perfectly, the pervert that he is. He turns around briefly to smirk at me before making his way to the stage to stand like a proud chicken in front of the rest of us.

Keep smirking, shitface, you're lucky I can't reach you.

For the past few months he's been harrassing me and my friends, Alice and Jessica. No matter how many times we handed his ass to him on a silver platter, he kept coming back for more.

"Ninth in class, Cameron Lombrana. Eighth in class, Collin Smithson. Seventh in class, Thomas Irving. Sixth in class, Silas Augustine. Fifth in class, Jessica Maverick."

Jess? Holy shit, my Jess is an ass kicker! I give her a big smile and a nod of my head when jade eyes meet my gaze from the stage. We both smirk at Jeren, and his face turns raging red.

"Fourth in class, Christian Vadeki. Third in class, Alice Braun." Three of my closest friends stand side by side on the stage, grinning down at me. There's a twinkle in Alice's cerulean eyes that I can't exacty place from this distance.

"Second in class, Dimitri Ivanovich." I gasp quietly, and turn to my absolute best friend in the world and slap him on the back before he makes his way to the front.

"And finally, the recruit who exceeded in all areas of training, Iliana Razaki."

What? No way. Everyone is glaring at me, so I walk on numb legs to stand beside Dimitri. No way am I first in our class... Chris and Dimitri are better at hand to hand than me, Alice and Jess are beyond great with their 3DMG gear. I catch the glare of a certain perveted weasel, and a broad smile flashes across my face. We're all better than him.

"The recruits standing before you are the best this year has to offer, the most skilled recruits. And only the best may enter the Military Police." He turns to look us over, and continues. "However, you still have the choice. Provow?"

The weasel steps forward and salutes dramatically. "Sir! I would be honored to join the Military Police. I give my heart and body to the king! Thank you, sir!" He steps back into line.

"Lombrana?"

He steps forward and salutes too, but he does it without making me want to rip his head off. "Sir! Thank you, but I feel I would better suit the Survey Corps, sir."

"Very well, soldier. Smithson?"

"Sir! Thank you, but the Garrison is where I belong sir."

"Irving?"

"Garrison, sir."

"Augustine?"

"Garrison, sir."

Jess looks to me quickly, and I smile and nod.

"Maverick?"

"Survey Corps, sir!"

"Vadeki?"

"Survey Corps, sir."

"Braun?"

"Survey Corps, sir."

"Ivanovich?"

"Survey Corps, sir."

"Razaki?" All eyes shift to me, and I gulp, stepping forward and saluting.

"Sir! Thank you for the opportunity to join the Military Police. Thank you for the chance to have a comfortable life, to live within the walls all of my life, and remain safe. However, I would rather have my life _mean_ something." Gasps fill the air, and the man in front of me reddens. Before he can speak, I continue. "I choose to truley _fight_ for humanty. I choose to wear the Wings of Freedom. I choose the Survey Corps, sir." He looks like he wants to snap my neck, but he stays firmly in place, the silence growing uncomfortable.

Finally, the silence is broken by a man close to the stage. He's an alright looking man, rather tall and quite built, with blond hair and big blue eyes... and the most magnificent set of eyebrows I've ever seen. He reminds me of someone, but I can't place him at the moment. He wears the Survey Corps emblem, the Wings of Freedom.

"An impressive speech, soldier." I fight the blush that threatens my cheeks, and the smile that tugs at the corners of my lips. He turns to address the other recruits. "Now you must decide. There are kiosks at the back of the courtyard, sign your names on the roster for either the Garrison or the Survey Corps, and follow the directions given to you there. Congradulation, soldiers."

"Aye!" We salute in unison and disperse. Before I can leave the stage, the man stands in front of me.

"Sir?" I salute, he's apparently a superior officer.

"What was your name?" His face betrays no emotion. Briefly, I wonder if my speech was a little over the top, but I suck it up and answer.

"Razaki, sir. Iliana Razaki."

"Lily? You don't remember me, do you?"

I freeze. "How did you... Do I know you?"

He smiles softly. "I'm Commander Erwin Smith. Your parents served under me. I was their Captain, I remember when you and Rosalie were born."

"Uncle Winnie?" My eyes grow wide and he chuckles.

"I haven't been called that in ages... How've you been, how's Rose?" His smile vanishes when I look away, not able to meet his eyes.

"Rose passed away a week before I signed on... She fought cancer for four years, and it finally took her almost three years ago." I glance at Dmitri and his mother, smiling and talking a few yards away. She casts her ice blue eyes in my direction, curiosity and pride battling for control within their depths. I just shake my head slighly. "We lived with Dimitri and his mother, Lydia, when mom and dad were on expeditions. She took us full time when they..." I trailed off.

I didn't talk about mom and dad much. They died nine years ago, on an expedition that went horribly wrong. Almost everyone died, and mom and dad sacrificed themselves to make sure the a small group of survivors made it back to the wall. We didn't have a proper burial, since their bodies weren't recovered, but we held a memorial service... I was ten years old, Rosalie was five.

"They would be proud of you, you know? Zacharias was eighth in his class, and Helena was sixth in hers the following year." He put his hand on my shoulder. "They loved you. Welcome to the Corps."

I can't speak for the lump in my throat, so I just nod and salute. The Commander walks away, and I watch him go.

"Who's he?" Dimitri rested his arm on my head, the damned giant.

"For someone so huge, you're definitely a sneaky fucker, aren't you?" I punch him in the side and he lets out a loud 'umph!'

"It's not my fault you're deaf, midget! Really though, what did he want?"

"He's our Commander. Erwin Smith."

Realization dawns on his face, and his eyes - the exact same shade as his mother's - light up. "Winnie? Your uncle is our Commander? Sweet!"

I punch him again. "Yes, Uncle Winnie. But he's not blood. I don' have any blood family left, Dimitri. You're my family now, and I don't want special treatment just because he knew my parents."

"I know, Lily, you like to earn things, not have them handed to you." He grins mischeiviously and I take a step back, preparing to run but he's faster than me. In the next instant, I'm flung over his shoulder as he carries me toward the roster kiosks.

"Damn it, Dimitri, put me down or I'll personally make sure you can't reprduce!" I scream and wiggle in protest, but I can't keep the laughter from my voice. He ignores me anyways and keeps walking.

Damn him.


	3. Chapter Two

**Hello, lovely readers!**

 **I realize I had a few spelling and grammar errors in the last chapter, and I sincerely apologize. I forgot to go through it and edit it before I posted :(**

 **Anyways, this is not only my first SnK/AoT fanfiction... It's my first fic ever! Reviews would be lovely, tips on how to improve my writing are always appreciated! I'd also like to thank my lovely Beta Readers: Cheyenne, Aj, Ricky, Cassie, and Rich. I love you guys, and I'll find a better way to get my chapters to you asap.**

 **I'll try to update at least one chapter around every two weeks! The events of this fic take place shortly after the first season of the anime ends, and it may or may not loosely follow the manga.**

 **Also! I'm reading a really great fanfic called Extra Pepperoni by hikarimitsuko on archiveofourown, its Ereri and it's amazing :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan, I only own my own characters.**

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Headquarters is a clusterfuck. I lost count of how many times I've gotten lost in my first week here, but at least it's getting a little bit easier. I've memorized the way to my room, friends' rooms, mess hall, and bathrooms. Whoever designed this place... I hate them. At least the grounds outside are quite easy to navigate.

I sit at my usual table, waiting for my friends, a hot cup of black tea warming my hands. I'm alone in the mess hall, for once I'm early for breakfast. The world must be ending... I hate mornings, and I hate waiting. Silence engulfs me as I become increasingly impatient. Drumming my fingers on the polished wood, I leisurely sip at my tea. It's bitter, but it's better than the disgusting watered down ale most other cadets favor.

Finally the heavy oak doors creak open. I swivel in my seat to see who will be joining me, and nearly choke.

Captain Levi trudges into the mess hall and makes a beeline to the tea, and then his table. He hasn't noticed me yet, and I don't want him to. That man is probably the most insanely strict person I've ever met, and I don't really want to deal with a scolding this early in the morning.

Even though I've done nothing wrong. I stare at a small scratch in my table. I'm just being paranoid, but I haven't yet recovered from yesterday. I rub my shoulder and cringe. I mean, I guess he's right, it's not like the tree that I ran into just appeared out of nowhere... but still, he yells too much.

I glance back in his direction and stifle a giggle- he's holding his teacup all wrong, ignoring the handle to instead grip it from the rim! His silver eyes shoot up to meet mine with a glare, and although I should probably be intimidated, I hold back more laughter. Normally I'd be shaking in my boots, terrified of the punishments he's been known to hand out, but right now he reminds me of an adorable child who has been told he can't have ice cream until he eats his green beans.

"Good morning, sir." I smile, ignoring the daggers his steel eyes are throwing.

"Cadet." His face returns to its usual stony self, bored almost, and he ignores me once more.

I silently curse myself. I'm probably in for hell today.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Cadet Razaki, fix your form. If you're the best this year has to offer, I might as well send you all home. We need soldiers, not Titan food." Captain Levi leans against one of the posts enclosing the hand to hand ring. He looks bored, and I bite my tongue, holding back a slight flare of anger. Since when is hand to hand taken seriously? It didn't even make up ten percent of our grade in training.

"Sir!" I don't salute, since the fight hadn't been stopped, and try not to let the bitterness in my thoughts slip into my voice. I circle Jess, my eyes locked on her deep jade irises.

"Don't hold back, Lily. I know you are." She whispers quickly. Her platinum blonde hair whips to the side, and she lunges at me to the left. I block her attack and dodge, rolling away and circling again.

"Tch." Captain shifts from foot to foot, clearly becoming increasingly bored.

"You are too, Jess..."

A few of the guys gathered around the ring catcall, and I spin to glare at them. My black hair covers half of my face, but I think it somehow adds to my silent threat. They shrink back from my gaze, but the damage is done. I meet Jess's eyes again- they've got a glint of rage in them, and I know mine do too. My voice takes an edge that could cut a Titan to shreds. "Shall we show these boys how to fight?"

She smirks and lunges again, and this time I know it's going to be an all out brawl. Her right fist connects with my side, but I bring my knee up into her stomach and swing out to connect with her face. She side steps, dropping to the ground, and tries to kick my legs out from beneath me.

I jump over her leg, forcing mine out into her shoulder and knocking her backwards. She uses the momentum to roll back to her feet, but not before I've landed and begin my next attack. I double over and run at her full force, my shoulders slamming into her stomach. I lift her over my head and throw her across the ring, knowing I have to keep moving- she recovers quickly.

This goes on for about thirty minutes, until Captain Levi orders us to stop. I already feel deep bruises forming, and I've got a small gash above my right eye. Jess looks like a mess, her nose and lips are bleeding and she's got a long cut along her collarbone, and down the left side of her face. Her hair is matted to her cheek and stained red with blood.

The group of rookies parts like the sea, amazed stares and awed silence follows us as we make our way to the infirmary, arm in arm, out of breath, and grinning like idiots. I think I showed the Captain a pretty good representation of my skills. He didn't have much to say once Jess and I had let loose.

Maybe today won't be hell, after all.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After lunch, I'm on cleaning duty. While the rest of my friends ended up paired up (Dimitri with Alice, Jess with Chris, and Cameron with a girl named Sasha who is obsessed with food) I ended up having stable duty all alone.

Why do I always get the short stick? Even when I'm a part of an even number of people, it seems someone always finds a way to schedule me alone. It's getting really irritating, but I know I won't actually complain to anyone. Especially not Uncle Winnie. Shit. Commander Erwin. I don't want special treatment.

I'm almost to the stables when Captain Levi stops me. "Cadet?"

"Yes sir?" I salute, standing as tall as I can, but the Captain is still a good two inches taller than me.

"Where are you going?"

"I've been assigned to clean the stables, sir." I peek around him to the gigantic barn structure. The doors are open already.

"Where is your partner? That's a two person job, cadet." He looks me up and down with slight suspicion. His silver eyes narrow as the slight breeze moves his hair across his face.

"I don't have a partner, sir, I was scheduled alone; I can handle it, sir. I used to have a horse."

We stand in silence for a moment, until he turns to walk quickly to the stables. I run to catch up to him before matching his pace."Sir?"

"Tch, I'm helping you, brat. You'll never be done in time for dinner if I don't."

The work is quick, but peaceful. I'm able to slip into my own thoughts, as Captain doesn't seem to be the talkative type. Working from opposite ends and meeting in the middle had been my idea, though Captain didn't say a word about it before getting to work. I reached the last stall before he did. Rather than leaving for dinner, he sits on a bale of hay and silently watches me as I finish my chore.

"Razaki?" His voice is low and hushed. It startles me, but I won't let him know that.

"Yes sir?"

"You're their daughter, aren't you? Zacharias and Helena's daughter."

I blush sightly, but remain faced away from him. "Yes, sir, I am."

"Mm." A lot of people knew who my parents were. Most people did, actually, they were Humanity's Strongest Couple. I think Captain even had the privileged of serving with them before they passed... Captain clears his throat and continues with his thought. "You're a lot like Helena, you know? Strong willed, short tempered, good fighter... same eyes."

I feel a smile tug my lips. I turn to thank him and gasp- he's less than a foot away from me, his eyes locked to mine.

"I... uh... Th-thank you, s-sir!" My face flushes a brighter rouge; I try to focus on anything except his stormy eyes and fail miserably. I'm like a raven to shiny objects, and I can't look away. There's a thought burning in their depths, but I can't decipher it. All I know is it makes me shiver, and suddenly its gone as soon as it appeared.

"Tch, it's time for dinner, brat. Let's go." Without looking to see if I follow, he glides out into the growing twilight, back toward the castle we call HQ.

What the hell? I sigh, my stomach grumbling. I decide to run to the mess hall, passing Captain Levi on the way. I swear I hear him "Tch" but I don't stop until I've gotten my food and joined my friends. Laughter fills the air, we talk and joke and smile, but all throughout dinner, I sneak peeks at his table. Captain doesn't take his eyes off of me until I leave the mess hall with Alice, Dimitri, Chris, Jess, and Cameron.

oOoOoOoOoOo

 **I know this was a rather short chapter, I'm going to try to make the rest a lot longer. I think I've over-planned just a little bit... approx. 33 chapters are planned for this particular fic, down to the events in each one, and I'll warn you right now- George RR Martin and Isayama would probably approve ._.**

 **I've also already got the first couple of chapters for the sequel planned.**

 **This is rated M for more than gore, and I will eventually get to my LevixOC lemons. Thank you for reading, comments are always welcome -Nyxx**


	4. Chapter Three

**Here we go again! Chapter Three (:**

 **This chapter took a lot of writing and re-writing, and completely scrapping parts of it, and re-writing it again... I just wasn't happy with the flow and progression of events. It's still not PERFECT, but the thing about this chapter is I don't think I can get it perfect. SO! Without further delay, here's the next installment of The Cost of Freedom!**

 **Karhi is pronounced KAH-ree, not like 'carry'**

 **I'm going to be putting this on AO3 as well, while you're there you should check out Hikarimitsuko's works! I'm thinking about asking her permission to repost her stories here, so I'll keep you updated on that!**

 **Disclaimer: I do NOT own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan, I only own my own characters and scenarios. And a necklace from Hot Topic with the key to Eren's basement and the Wings of Freedom insignia...**

oOoOoOo

I wake the next morning to warm sunlight on my face.

"Shit!" I bolt upright, smacking my head on the bunk above me in the process. "Ungh, damn it..." I groan, rubbing my forehead. Jess leans over the side of her bunk, eyes wide.

"Lily? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but we're late for breakfast, Sasha's going to eat our food." I scramble to get ready, throwing on my uniform. I abandon my ODM straps, deciding I'll deal with them once I've eaten, and I'm a little more awake. Jess does the same, and we run to the mess hall, hoping there's something left to eat.

"About time you two showed up!" Chris calls to us, and my eyes light up. He's holding two plates of food; Sasha is beside him, practically drooling at the steaming fried potatoes and corned beef. Remnants of her own serving lay forgotten at the side of her lips. She looks slightly disappointed to see us before running up to hug me.

"Are you feeling alright? If you don't think you can eat all of that, I can help!" She fusses over the red spot that's slowly growing into a lump on the edge of my raven hairline.

"I'm okay, Sasha, I'm starving actually... Sorry!" I have to giggle at the way she frowns and pouts slightly. Honestly, I have no idea how she can eat as much as she does and stay fit, but I've seen how she soars on the 3DMG.

I make my way to the tea and coffee table... Well... Tea table now, all of the coffee is gone. Yawning, I taking a cup. I feel eyes on me, and turn to survey the room, already sipping my tea. My eyes scan over to my friends' table, and I chuckle softly. Alice is glaring at Chris, but she's cracking under the pressure to not smile. He's grinning at her, knowing he's winning whatever insult war they'd just had. Jess is sitting with Dimitri, blushing slightly. Dimitri is glancing at her from the corner of his eye... Honestly, everyone except those two can see they belong together. Cameron is giving Sasha what's left of his plate, and she throws her arms around him and screams that he's her best friend. My eyes move on until they meet the silver grey irises of none other than Captain Levi himself. He makes no move to look away or pretend he wasn't staring. I raise and eyebrow and tilt my head, still grinning. He nods in my direction, and looks down. Strange man...

Hanji turns around in her chair, glancing between the Captain and me, her glasses glinting, before she she laughs loudly and runs out of the mess hall.

Okay, she's stranger than Levi, for sure... At least I have a good relationship with her, though. She's never yelled at me.

oOoOoOo

I'm flying, soaring through dense trees, flipping and twirling around branches. 3DMG is my favorite part of training, because it makes me feel free. I can almost forget the walls that cage me, almost forget the monsters that wait just outside, almost forget the pain they cause... Almost.

A Titan dummy pops out in front of me, and I roll off of a thin branch, slicing at the leather strip at the nape of its neck. Pushing off lightly, I'm airborne again, my wires shooting out far in front of me.

I know I'm ahead of everyone else, although I'm not entirely sure how- I've barely used any gas. I have to wonder if perhaps my gages are broken, but maybe it's just my weight...

"Show off." His voice startles me, and I almost run into a tree. Again.

"Shit!" I gasp, taking out another Titan dummy before I land on a thicker branch. Captain Levi lands on a branch just above me, raising an eyebrow but he remains silent.

"So... How am I showing off, sir?" I raise an eyebrow, mimicking him. Thin trickles of light cascade across his face and reflect in his eyes.

"Tch. You're a good five minutes ahead of everyone else. Your gas must be running out, you need to conserve-"

"I've barely used any gas, sir."

His silver eyes glint like daggers, the green reflection from the canopy making them seem impossibly deep... Impossibly deadly. "Don't cut me off, Cadet. You may have used more than you think, I used a quarter of my tanks to catch up to you."

"Sorry, sir, but I really haven't." I show him my gas gauge, and even I'm surprised that I've used less than an eighth of a tank. He opens his mouth to speak, but I continue. "I've mainly just used the pull of my wires and I've been spinning a lot to gain momentum. It must be because I'm smaller than most of the others... I was going to ask Hanji once I finished the course."

His eyes are on my gauge, but I have a feeling he's not actually looking at it. His head snaps up to meet my gaze, and I can hardly believe what I'm seeing- Captain Levi is smiling. Actually smiling! My breath catches in my throat, shock very clearly displayed in my features.

"Well then. Care to race me to the finish line? Forget about the training dummies, I want to see how fast you can go." He's about to launch his wires, but hesitates. "If you were that fast without gas, you might actually be able to keep up with me. Forget waste, use it as much as you need to. See you at the finish." He whooshes away, and I take a second to recover... Captain Levi actually smiled... at me.

I launch off of the branch and try to cover the distance he's put between us. He's just as shocked as I am when I catch up, and we hit our gas simultaneously.

I can't focus on him and my path at the same time, so I ignore him, spinning and darting between the trees, dodging training dummies. I can't hold in the giggle that escapes my lips, or the smile that demands to be present.

The treeline is approaching quickly, and I punch my gas one last time before dropping closer to the forest floor. As my wires hit the last trees, I roll and hit the ground, legs running to break my momentum.

I hear a gasp, and look over to a beaming Hanji. He eyes dart from me to the treeline, and I turn to see Captain Levi land a full five seconds after I did. Of course he's more graceful about his dismount, but I beat him. Holy shit, I was faster than my Captain!

I'm suddenly crushed in Hanji's arms, Commander Erwin chuckles. Captain Levi looks shocked, but I see the smirk he's trying to hide.

"Levi, don't look so startled, I told you she'd be a natural. She's the daughter of Humanity's Strongest Couple, remember." Erwin is smiling, and he comes to pat me on the back.

Captain Levi shakes his head. "Two days ago, you ran into a tree, and today you're faster than me and control your gas use better than soldiers who've been here for years. You're definitely their daughter, Razaki." He reaches his hand out to shake mine. I take it and grin. "Congratulations, Iliana. No one has beaten me since Helena."

Mom. Captain has been Humanity's strongest since mom and dad died. "Thank you sir, but I think I'm just having a really good day."

"Ooph!" Alice busts through the trees and lands hard a few yards away from us, followed by Chris and Jess, who also have rough landings. I sprint over to them, and help Jess brush off.

"How the hell did you take off so fast? I couldn't catch up to you to save my life!" Alice huffs heavily.

I shrug. "Just spin. I used my gas to take off, but I spin every chance I get. It makes you dizzier than fuck, but I think it's something you get used to... And then just let the wires pull you."

Chris ruffles my hair, ignoring the glare that it earns him from Alice. "And Lily's a short shit. Less strain on the wires, I guess."

Jess giggles, and Alice soon joins.

The rest of the cadets land around the same time, and the lot of us make our way back to HQ. I walk between Jess and Captain Levi most of the way, until Cameron runs up behind me. "Hey Lily!" He flicks my ear and sprints toward the castle.

"Ow! You little shit!"

"Who are you calling little, short stack?" He calls over his shoulder, and I take off after him, giggling as I gain ground. I tackle him, and we both go down hard, rolling in the soft grass. He stands and offers to help me up, but instead I pull him down, hopping up and into a fighting stance myself, still smirking. He stands and brushes himself off, just beginning to position himself when I'm picked up from behind.

"Woah there, killer."

"Damn it, Dimitri, what did I say about picking me up? Sneaky fucker!"

He chuckles and sets me down, using my head as a damn arm rest. His ice blue eyes glow with silent laughter, my glare doing nothing to intimidate him.

"Tch." Captain Levi disappears into HQ.

oOoOoOo

During lunch, Commander Erwin declares that the rest of today and all of tomorrow are free time. No training, no cleaning. I chatter excitedly with my friends, making our way to the stables to see our horses.

We hadn't had time to train with them yet, but we've already formed the necessary bonds with them. My horse, a beautiful solid black mare, neighs happily when she sees me.

"Hey, Karhi!" I coo softly, running my palms across her course pelt and quickly mounting her. Jess and Alice are already outside, their horses hoofing impatiently at the ground.

With a soft click of my tongue, Karhi prances out to join them.

"Where do you want to go, Lily?" Alice inquires, cerulean eyes bright under the fringe of her honey blonde pixie cut.

"I don't know... Jess?" Her emerald eyes scan the grounds, unsure of where to go.

Well this is awkward... I realize that none of us have had time to properly explore the grounds, being occupied with so much training. I sigh and lean back in my saddle.

"Hey! Where are you going?" My head snaps over to Sasha, running toward us with a few of the cadets from the 104th, white teeth glinting in a broad smile.

"Want to join? We're just exploring the grounds, we don't really know where to go..." My eyes graze over the faces accompanying her- three boys and another girl. Sasha makes introductions, starting with the other girl. Mikasa has a blank look in her eyes, the bottom of her face is covered with a red scarf, simply nodding her head in my direction. Next is Eren, his bluegreen eyes shine brightly as he smiles and says 'hello'. He looks rather boyish, but I know he's the Shifter... Odd, I thought he'd be a bit more intimidating. Armin is nice, shyly smiling at Alice, Jess and I. His stance is slightly feminine, and quite adorable. And finally, the tallest of the boy trio, Jean. He steps forward and pats all three of our horses. I try not to giggle, thinking he rather resembles a horse himself.

"I know of a place, if you're interested?" Jean's smile is actually pretty dazzling, and I feel myself unable to resist returning it.

"Sure, you're all welcome!" Jess's platinum hair blows in the breeze, and she silently nudges her stallion around the stables. "We'll just circle here and wait for you."

Ten minutes later, eight horses rumble across the lawn of HQ. Curious eyes follow us to the treeline, lingering even after we've disappeared.

Jean leads us to a small clearing about half a mile outside of the ODM training grounds, and I gasp- it's beautiful. Most of the field is cast in soft shadows, the gargantuan trees surrounding it shading the shining pond in the center. The ground surrounding its clear blue water is covered in wildflowers and tufts of grass. It's breathtaking, the colors are perfect.

A warm breeze rustles the canopy, sending leaves cascading across the clearing, the scent of moss and woods and earth making me feel welcome. My feet thud softly on the ground beside Karhi, and I tether her to a low hanging branch.

I glance around at our little group, the rest of them still in awe of the meadow's beauty, and meet Jean's eyes.

"Well?" His lips turn up at one corner into a lopsided grin, leaning against a tree with his arms across his chest. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful- " Sasha and I whisper simultaneously. Surprised, we bust into a fit of giggles.

"Oi, Jean, how did you know this was here?" Eren punches his friend's shoulder... Friend? No... Something in their eyes tells me they're not friends. They tolerate each other for the sake of their mutual interests... What is their mutual interest?

Armin and Mikasa come to stand between Jean and Eren, and it clicks. Armin is watching Mikasa cautiously, while Jean's eyes are flickering between her and Eren. Desire and envy display clearly on his features, but as Mikasa turns her back to him in favor of Eren, desire fizzles from a burning fire to a withering ember, quickly replaced by a stoic smirk.

"I found it a few weeks after we got here... Shit, that was almost a year ago..." His eyes fracture ever so slightly, becoming dark with the memory of a past pain. Sasha reacts instantly, probably saving his pride, as the storms in his eyes looked like they were about to let loose. Her hand lands on his shoulder and she smiles comfortingly.

After a second, he returns her gesture, and soon after his shirt's on the ground.

"EH?!" Alice's eyes are wide. "What the hell?"

Jean doubles over, his laughter rolls through the air and echoes off of the surrounding trees.

"I don't know about you, but that water looks great, and I'm not riding back to HQ is wet clothes, so..." His fingers work on the button of his pants, and Sasha buries her reddening face in her hands.

"We're not getting naked, Jean..." Mikasa's quiet voice startles me; She's standing just behind me to the right. She gasps when Erens shirt hits the ground a few feet away from Jean's. "Eren!"

"What? Of course we're not getting naked, we've got underclothes." His pants follow, and Jean and Eren are both in the water before anyone can think.

Armin stands awkwardly beside Alice...

"Eh, fuck it. Lily?" Alice is already shimmying out of her clothes, pants first, and Armin's wide eyes avert to look anywhere else but at her. Jess nods and flings her shirt to the side. I shrug, glancing to Sasha, who smiles nervously.

We strip to our underwear and run into the water too, the sandy bottom squishing between my toes pleasantly as the cool water envelops my body. It's pretty deep in the middle, and I've never actually learned how to swim, so I keep my toes firmly in the sand beneath me- Until Jean picks me up from behind and carries me bridal style to deeper water.

"Jean! Nonono put me down, take me back, I can't swim!" I screech over his shoulder, clinging on for dear life. He chuckles and sets me down where I have to stand on the very tips of my toes to just barely keep my head above water. I start to panic, but yet again, someone picks me up from behind, arms wrapped around my torso just below my breasts, and moves me to shallower water.

"What the fuck, Jean?" Eren's chest vibrates against my back, and his breath ghosts past my ear. It kind of feels good, but I can tell from Mikasa's face that I'm not supposed to show any indication that I like it. I don't want to have to fight in my underwear, in front of two guys. Well... Technically three, but I think Armin would be more interested in watching the other two. "She said she can't swim, so you leave her where her feet can't touch?"

"I forgot she was short... I'm sorry, Lily."

Jess, Sasha and Alice are trying to stifle giggles as I just glare straight in front of me, above Armin and Mikasa's heads. The two hadn't joined us in the water, and instead sat close to the edge in the grass.

"I'm not short..." I mumble, pouting.

Eren snorts. "Yes you are." I can hear the smile in his voice.

oOoOoOo

The sun is setting by the time our horses near HQ, but the grounds are still bustling with activity. No one really notices our panting horses, or our wet hair.

When was the last time I was actually able to enjoy myself like this, and not worry about anything else? It's difficult to remember a time when I was carefree... Was it just before mom and dad died? I definitely haven't smiled like this since Rose joined them...

There's a sharp stab in my heart, and my mind clouds with the pain... No. I can't think about this right now. Rose would want me to be happy. She always wanted me to smile and enjoy life. I gently push her green eyes from my mind's eye, and her smiling face fades back into the tiny corner of my thoughts I've reserved just for her. Nothing will ever take her away, not really.

As I rejoin the present, I realize that I've been asked a question. Jean stares at me expectantly, and I feel heat rising to my cheeks.

"Sorry, I drifted away for a minute... What was your question?"

He chuckles, and flashes his teeth at me in yet another one of his (rather breath taking) smiles. "I asked if you wanted to go back to the pond tomorrow, since we've got more free time then." Jean leans against Karhi's stall door in the stables, arms neatly folded across his broad chest. His sandy hair is drying in every which way, majorly disheveled from our ride back to base. His eyes are almost gold, with a playful glint that reflects in his goofy lopsided grin.

"Damn, Horseface, you just met her." Eren bumps into Jean's shoulder as our group makes their way outside. "Good luck!" He chuckles, Jean's face flushes, I try to pretend it's not noticeable. He doesn't fall for it. His eyes fall to the ground at his shuffling feet, nervous energy wafting off of him. I instantly feel bad, and I reach my hand up to put it on his shoulder.

"I'm sure we'd love to go back there, Jean. It's beautiful."

"We? Oh... Yeah... Okay, cool. We'll go back after breakfast then?"

Oh... He wasn't asking about all of us. He just wanted me to go with him. Oh... Shit. How did I misread that? I've never had a boy ask me to go anywhere alone with him... Except Dimitri, but that's different. We've never been attracted to each other. But am I attracted to Jean? Maybe. I don't know. Yes, and no.

Jean smiles anyways, his eyes lighting up again, and we make our way into the castle, joining the mass exodus of the grounds.

Sasha drapes her arm around my shoulder and pulls me over to where Jess, Alice, and Mikasa are standing. "Hey, wanna have a girls' night? There's no curfew tonight, we were all thinking of heading up to the roof and watching the stars after dinner. We could all get to know each other!"

"Girls' night? Can I join?" Hanji appears out of nowhere and huddles close to our group. Sasha and Mikasa exchange a glance, thinly veiled concern in their eyes, but I grin a Hanji. The woman has been here longer than any of us. I know she's seen more than her fair share of death, and I know that no one really gets close to her. She doesn't usually make small talk, and she's rarely ever seen in the company of anyone other than Erwin and Levi. There's rumors that she hadn't really talked to any females since Levi's squad died. What was that girl's name? Petra? I think she was friends with Petra...

"I don't see why not... Us girls have to stick together, right?"

She squeals and throws her arms around me. "Aah, thank you!"

I notice that her exclamation has drawn the attention of a few of the guys around us, their quizzical gazes lingering on Hanji's arm around my waist, and Sasha's arm still on my shoulders. We giggle, and collect our food- some kind of chicken and potato soup.

Hanji joins the superior officers' table, sitting between Captain and Uncle Winnie. Rather than sitting in an isolated group, I scoot our normal table closer to Eren and Jean's table, and we all eat together. More introductions are made, and it's decided that Ymir and Krista will join our little girls' night. The other boys at the table seem just as nice as anyone else. Connie, with the boyish face and chubby cheeks, chatters excitedly about the rumors that I'd beaten Levi in a race. I blush, not knowing if I should confirm or deny.

"I don't think it was a fair race. I did land before him, but I don't think I actually beat him. He probably let me pull ahead to see if my technique needed improvement." My eyes flick to the Captain's, and he shakes his head subtly. For what, though? What is that supposed to mean? Stop talking, or stop denying that I won? I'm not sure, so I go with the first option, changing the subject to hand to hand training.

Reiner's head snaps up and he whistles. "Man, I wish I could have been there. From what I hear, it was brutal!" His eyes shine with appreciation, and Jess and I exchange a quick grin.

"Well, maybe we'll demonstrate for you tomorrow. After we've enjoyed the rest of the day, of course."

"You two had to go to the infirmary, right? Why didn't anyone stop you before that point?" Bertholt's quiet voice inquires.

"I don't know... At first we were both holding back, I think it was pissing the Captain off. So he let us go until he thought one of us would end up seriously injured if he didn't step in."

I meet Levi's eyes again, and the corner of his mouth is upturned slightly. Not enough that anyone else would notice, no one ever really looks at his lips, but I have a hard time keeping my eyes off of them. Does he know? No. He can't. And I'll never tell him.

But still, it's a little unnerving to have him drop his stoic facade twice, for me and only me, in one day.

A tiny voice in the back of my mind tells me, Don't get too used to it, Lily. He's just having a rare good day. I ignore it, and continue my dinner.

Once we're done, and the dishes are cleaned and put away, our ragtag group makes its way to the roof.

oOoOoOo

 **A little bit longer, yes? I might end up deviating from my initial plan, I came up with things in the sequel that need to happen and be explained in this story first, so I may end up going over 33 chapters... Oh well :D**

 **I have a job that's no interfering slightly with being able to post my updates, but I promise I'll get them to you as soon as possible.**

 **Thank you so much to the people who are following my story, feel free to comment and tell me how I'm doing!**


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